The National Care Service bill is at Stage 2 and the Scottish Government has published its proposed amendments.
This includes a new amendment on a National Social Work Agency, which would:
- put the role of the National Chief Social Work Adviser on a statutory
footing. - identify the National Social Work Agency as the body which will
support them. - enable the Agency to take on ministerial functions for workforce
planning in relation to social work.
Here is UNISON Scotland’s new briefing which gives an update on plans for a National Social Work Agency, now that the Government has published its Stage 2 amendments to the National Care Service Bill.
Parliament’s Health, Social Care & Sport Committee will be taking evidence about these revised plans including the National Social Work Agency parts in September.
UNISON Scotland will be responding to the Call for Views and Branches and social work members are invited to send any feedback to Inez Kirk, Branch Secretary by 5 August.
UNISON Scotland’s position, and that of the STUC is that the bill is not fit for purpose and should be scrapped. It retains profit in care and does not address the fundamental barriers to good social care and social work, which is a huge under-resourcing of front-line services. The amendments do not address these concerns, and although the plan to remove staff and assets from councils has been removed, the new bill still has a clear centralising agenda.